Plant doctor training under Plantwise piloted in Burundi
Burundi is set to become the 34th country to join the Plantwise programme and the 13th member country in Africa. The CABI-led Plantwise programme has helped millions of smallholder farmers to lose less of what they grow to pests and diseases, increasing food security and improving rural livelihoods. So far, Plantwise has set up a…
Plantwise plant clinics improve proper use of pesticides and highlight need to wear Personal Protective Equipment
The increasing prevalence of devastating crop pests, such as the Fall armyworm (FAW), has led to a growth in pesticide use among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Crop pests are a major limiting factor of agricultural productivity growth worldwide and in Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, crop losses due to pests are predicted to be 40%…
Test your plant health knowledge
>> Latest and final quiz just added. Plantwise plant doctors are at the heart of our plant clinic network providing advice and information to farmers, logging their data for the Plantwise Knowledge Bank, and always adapting to new outbreaks and technologies. Think you’ve got what it takes to be a plant doctor? Take our online…
“Plant clinics help me continue to support my family through farming.” Meet Joyce, a farmer from Malawi
Mayi Joyce Vito is a middle-aged woman with a one-acre farm in Nanjiri, Lilongwe, Malawi. She grows groundnuts, maize and occasionally, cassava. She also has a piece of dambo land where she grows vegetables and has a number of banana trees. Nanjiri is one of the areas in Lilongwe which is regarded as a ‘food…
Plantwise helps with managing the invasive Fall Armyworm in Vietnam
During a recent visit to a plant clinic session in Vinh Phuc, Vietnam, first-hand evidence of this devastating invasive pest was shown to visiting CABI staff. A 76-year-old farmer, Madam Nguyen Thi Nam brought along damaged maize plant to seek advice from the plant doctor, Mrs Dang Thi Quynh Nga.
Maize lethal necrosis disease on the decline in Kenya
Plant clinic data collected by Plantwise countries in East Africa has corroborated a statement from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) which said maize lethal necrosis disease (MLN) is “under control but not eradicated”.
Exploring the “art” in “climate-smart”
Originally published on CGIAR CCAFS Art has a place in climate discussions. Children, who are usually deemed too young to understand complex topics such as climate change must be involved as well. A campaign with the theme “Climate Change: Youth Can Do Something” was organized on 7 October 2018 in Tra Hat Climate-Smart Village (CSV)…
Delight and degrees all round for Integrated Crop Management students
Twelve international students celebrated the completion of the 2018 Masters of Advanced Studies in Integrated Crop Management (MAS in ICM) course at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Coordinated by CABI and the University of Neuchâtel, the MAS in ICM programme provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles of good crop management, with an emphasis on…
Grand Challenges 2018 – solutions for safeguarding food security and sustaining trade and livelihoods
This year’s British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP) Grand Challenges in Plant Pathology Study Group gathered at Chicheley Hall, Milton Keynes, UK, 25-28 September 2018. Chicheley Hall is a grade II listed country mansion, home of the Kavli Royal Society International Centre. This was the second meeting of its kind, following on from the first…
Too much tea: Weak global prices subject tea farmers to flat returns
Global market prices have weakened as supply exceeds demand for most farmers involved in tea production. The situation; which has devastated the hopes of farmers for lucrative returns was actually enhanced by favourable climatic conditions that brought about increased yields in most tea producing regions.